RSPCA hotline receives calls about guitars and resurrected tortoises

Gulls displaying a greenish hue sparked fears of a radiation leak in one householderâs neighbourhood.

Miracle: Tortoise (Picture: PA)

But the supposedly tainted birds were found to have been illuminated by garden lights.

This was one of the 1million calls and 14,000 online queries dealt with by the RSPCA this year and, while most are genuine, some have left staff puzzled.

They range from a cancelled home visit because a tortoise had âcome back to lifeâ to a blackbird that refused to sing. One caller even asked if they could get advice on microchipping their guitar..

âAlthough we may have a little laugh at these stories, the 24-hour advice and cruelty line is for reporting serious cases or emergencies concerning animal welfare,â an RSPCA spokesman said.

Probably not to hear about a neighbourâs shower that was thought to compel their dog to go the toilet.